Soupe au Cochon
performance with tasting & conversationcommissioned by Intervision Ballhaus Ost, Berlin
2015
During the performance Soupe au cochon a traditional pork soup is handed out to the audience whilst its use in french soup kitchen organized by extreme-right groups is the subject of a conversation with the artist.
The soupe au cochon that is offered to the audience in plastic bowls was subject of a wide public debate in France starting in 2004 when the so-called SDF (Solidarite des Francais), a group affiliated with the extreme-right Bloc Identitaire, was offering the traditional french dish in their public soup kitchen to serve the homeless in Paris at Gare de l'Est. Soon the fact that by using a porc based recipe the group intentionally excluded people of muslim and jewish faith lead to a public outcry and the free Soupe au Cochon was temporarily banned from the streets of paris. But the order was revised by the administrative tribunal in Paris since a 'recipe cannot be deemed discriminatory as such' until the European Court of Human Rights finally prohibits handing out the soup in 2009. But the SDF as well as similar associations have been continuouisly serving the gaulois recipe in their soup kitchens in various french cities since.
Photography: Franziska Pierwoss, google image search, Mathias Jud